Open Broadcaster Software (OBS) is open source software used by streamers and gamers to record their gameplay and broadcast online. It is the most popular software used by enthusiasts and some of the top streamers on Twitch and YouTube due to its ease of use and advanced options.

Streaming is arguably an easy pastime to take up, but if you want to become a pro, you’ll need hardware and software that can help you out and make the whole process smoother. Hardware can include an internal capture card, broadcast rig, front-end camera, microphone, and a two-PC setup. However, to seamlessly stream a gaming session, this hardware setup needs to be accompanied by equally capable software. Therefore, this article will explain how new streamers can stream using OBS Studio on an average PC.

Stream easily with OBS Studio

1) Install the software

Go to the official website by searching for “OBS Studio” and clicking on the first link. The software is available for all major operating systems such as Windows, macOS and Linux. After downloading it, install it by running the downloaded file. It will install the latest version, but users should check for updates regularly.

2) Configure OBS Studio

When users launch the installed software for the first time, it runs an automatic setup wizard, which gives you two options. One option is “Optimize for Streaming” and the other is “Optimize for Recording”. For streaming, users should choose the first option, which will configure the settings to prioritize streaming over recording.

3) Main Game Screen Setup

Under the “Scenes” window, at the bottom right, click the “+” button and label it “Game Scene”. Next, users will need to add a source to this scene. To do this, click the ‘+’ button in the ‘Sources’ window, select ‘View Capture’, select ‘Create New’ and click ‘OK’ and you can label it as you wish.

A new “Properties” window will open where you need to select the monitor on which you will play and click “OK”. Usually there’s only one option, but if you have a dual-monitor setup, choose the primary monitor that will stream to the platform.

4) Sound Setup

Once the display is selected in the scene, users will need to select the audio input. To do this, click the “+” button under the “Sources” window, select “Audio Input Capture”, select “Create New” and click “OK”. Users can also tag it as per their convenience.

Once the “Properties” window opens, you will need to select the main device you will use to communicate with your audience. Click ‘OK’ after selecting it. To confirm that the correct microphone has been selected, you can check if the audio levels increase when speaking into the mic in the ‘Audio Mixer’ window at the bottom.

You can also adjust your PC and microphone volume using the slider in the “Audio Mixer” window. This will not change your volume, but the streaming volume.

5) Camera Setup

If you have a webcam plugged into your system, you can add it to your main scene. To do this, click the “+” button under the “Sources” window, select “Video Capture Device”, select your webcam when the “Properties” window appears and click “OK”.

You can place the webcam window anywhere on the stage by adjusting its size and moving it to your preferred position on the screen.

6) Optimize settings

You need to change some settings on OBS before starting your stream. Go to OBS Studio settings on the bottom right, click “Output”, then in “Video Bitrate”, put 6000 Kbps, which is ideal for 1080p, select “Software” next to the encoder and deselect ‘Enable Advanced Encoder’ and click ‘OK’.

7) Connect to your platform

To connect OBS to the platform you will be streaming on, click “Settings” under the “Controls” window on the right, click “Streaming” on the left, and enter your stream key.

If you stream on Twitch, you can get your stream key from the Creator Dashboard. If you stream on YouTube, you can get the stream key by going to Creator Studio, going to the “Live Streaming” tab, and scrolling down.

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Users should note that the stream key should not be shared with anyone as it is a unique code generated individually for the creators.

8) Start streaming

To finally start streaming, simply click on “Start streaming” at the bottom right, and you will automatically go live on your channel on the selected platform.

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